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Dimwood Coven
|image = Dimwood banner1.jpg}}The Dimwood Coven is a group of harvest witches and followers of the Old Ways in Rosenhearth, Gilneas. Few in numbers, these men and women live in relative isolation within the Brierwood and its surrounding forests, working to uphold and preserve century old traditions and act as caretakers of the land. History Rosenhearth had few people living within its borders prior to its nurturing. The land was a vast barren field juxtaposed by dense forests on each side. The deepest of these forests was the Brierwood, a grove of tall and spiraling trees who have stood for centuries prior to its discovery. The essence of the spirit of life radiating from these woods was strong enough to attracts a group of pilgrims who had devoted their life to studying and revering those same energies. Camulyna Gerderast and her five disciples traveled to the Brierwood in hopes of communing with these same forces of nature. Upon their arrival, they created the first druidic circle at what they believed to be the center of the forest. It would serve as the new coven’s place for congregation. It did not take long for others to follow and arrive at the woods. Witches from other parts of Gilneas made the journey, even commoners who were swayed and intrigued by the teachings and rituals of the Old Ways became the new recruits of this druidic circle. As numbers grew, so did their accumulation of knowledge and control over the region. The witches soon began an ambitious task to plant and nurture a great tree from the seeds of the healthiest oak they knew in the grove. This tree would be planted at the center of the druidic circle, its roots spreading deep and far, while its crown peaked above the canopy of thorns and foliage. Revered by the coven and empowered by their magic, the tree became a place for rituals and meditation. During this type of progress many witches began to leave the Brierwood, and traverse the rest of the region’s land, seeking out its other inhabitants and forming a prosperous relationship with most. With their druidic magic, many of the coven were able to fertilize and grow the land until the barren fields became an agricultural paradise. The people, witnessing this miracle were nothing less than amazed. Accepting and encouraging the witches’ presence, the coven saw another influx of members as it entered a short lived but significant “golden age”. As more and more learned of the untamed and beautiful land hidden away in Rosenhearth, the region would see hundreds of settlers traveling to the north-west, looking to settle the land. Farms appeared one after another and not long after the first town of the region had been established, Lindofen, later renamed to Bishop’s Fall. With the coming of so many people, the witches of the Brierwood found themselves facing a difficult obstacle. The Holy Light had slowly but steadily been growing in popularity, pushing away the beliefs and practices of the Old Ways that had been shared with the people. With the building of the first chapel in Lindofen, those who lived in Rosenhearth had the access to worship an easier to understand and follow creed. The mysterious and tightly preserved traditions of the Dimwood Coven had began to die out amongst the populace. This caused much debate and uproar amongst the coven. Many furious and frustrated directly blamed the Holy Light and its followers for their silent exile back into the woods, claiming that the only way to move forward is to uphold tradition. On the other side of the coin, many witches had began to propose change, that the followers of the Old Ways must adapt if they are to survive and continue on. Ultimately, the disagreements caused many of the witches to schism and leave the Dimwood coven, forming new covens throughout. With their congregation in disarray, the Dimwood coven experienced a crippling blow soon after with the formation of the Bloodbrier coven. A corrupt forest spirit had began to communicate with many of the elder witches, some of whom pledged their loyalty and servitude to the creature and swaying others to their side with the promise of returning to their roots and reclaiming Rosenhearth. A conflict erupted as the newly born Bloodbrier coven began murdering any of their brethren who disagreed and questioned their demands or their deity. In the following months, the Bloodbrier coven had overtaken most of the Brierwood and had gained access to the great tree at its center. Binding its essence to the roots, the corrupt forest spirit would taint the tree as the entire forest grew bleak and twisted, spawning nightmares and monsters alike for years to come. What was left of the Dimwood coven ralied and hid deep into the forests and mountains of Rosenhearth, desperately trying to rebuild their numbers and uphold their pagan practices and beliefs. After the Invasion of Gilneas and the liberation of Rosenhearth from the Forsaken occupation, the Dimwood coven played an instrumental role in healing its blighted land, once again. For this act of compassion, the Church of the Holy Light governing the region had pardoned them, respecting their practices and allowing them freedom to move throughout Rosenhearth unhindered. Even so, the remaining witches never managed to reintegrate and are still found out in the wilds. Rituals WIP Leadership The Dimwood coven's leader is known as the Elder Mother, or in rare cases the Elder Father. Camulyna Gerderast had established that this position serves the role of a teacher and guide towards all other witches rather than a ruler. An Elder is elected by the previous Elder, or in the case of their death or inability to name a successor, chosen by an unanimous vote of the coven. A witch acts as an Elder until death and the title's validity can only be stripped away by passing it onto a successor, or the Elder's exile from the coven. The current Elder Mother of the Dimwood coven is Evelyn Morris Category:Organizations Category:Kingdom of Gilneas Category:Religion Category:Gilnean Paganism